"Benedict. Arias Montanus Sacrae Geographiae Tabula…", Arias Montanus, Benito

This striking double hemisphere world map is a rare variant of Montanus' Polyglot Bible map of 1571/72. Principally showing how Noah's three sons repopulated the world, the map features some very interesting cartography based on Gastaldi - with North America and Asia linked by a prominent land bridge. In this version, the map has been updated so that the island that is in the approximate position of Australia has been modified to show only the northern coastline. The map has had the original decorative elements removed, the text in the hemisphere cusps revised, and it is now surrounded by beautifully engraved scenes. On the left are vivid scenes of sunlight and the Garden of Eden and on the right are darkness and the deluge. These scenes do not appear on any of the earlier versions of the map. Shirley mentions this variant in the Corrigenda and Addenda (2001) without giving the source. This map was published by Janssonius van Waesberge in a bible commentary entitled Critici Sacri: sive Annotata doctissimorum virorum in Vetus ac Novum Testamentum... in the 1698 Amsterdam edition.

References: Shirley (2001) #125.

Condition: A+

Fine impression with attractive later color. Very faint offsetting, else extremely fine.